When a winter storm or hurricane shows up in the forecast, the first thing most of us do is make a bee-line for the grocery store. But besides milk and bread, what other food items should fill your cart?
Grocery shopping for inclement weather isn’t all that different from ordinary grocery shopping. You should feel free to buy the foods you normally eat and enjoy, but be careful if many of them are found down your grocer’s refrigerated and frozen food aisles! Such foods will do you little good if you lose electricity during the storm.
Because non-perishables, or ready-to-eat foods, are made to be eaten “as is,” many people struggle with ideas of how to make a meal of them. Here are some suggestions to help get your started:
Ready-to-Eat Breakfast Items:
- Cereal
- Dry milk (use bottled water if threat of contamination exists)
- Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas stay fresh for days to weeks)
- Canned or dried fruits
- Granola bars
- Protein bars
- Canned meats (tuna, chicken, Vienna sausages, Spam)
- Canned soups, broths
- Canned vegetables, beans
Ready-to-Eat Snack Items:
- Nuts
- Nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.)
- Snack crackers (saltines, goldfish)
- Pre-packaged cookies
- Trail mix
- Bottled or boxed juices
- Bottled water
How Much Food Is Enough Food? continued reading
